Eggplant Lasagna; Lunchbox

Sorry, no pictures again. We have a semi-regular tradition of sharing dinner with another family in our building every couple of weeks – it’s a great way to make a complete meal out of the odds & ends of two pantries at the end of the week. Tonight my contribution was an eggplant lasagna, brought to you by the fact that I had 3 eggplant and a box of lasagna noodles to use up. Crushed tomatoes in the pantry are a staple, so the only shopping was for the cheese.

I sliced the eggplant medium-thin, salted it and let it sit in the colander for about 20 minutes. Then I layered it on a plate with some paper towels and microwaved it for 5 minutes (hat-tip to Cook’s Illustrated for the idea). What this extra step does is suck a TON of the moisture out of the eggplant so it doesn’t make your lasagna watery.

For the sauce, I did a simple base of chopped onion and red pepper, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian herb blend, and a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes. I let that simmer while the eggplant drained.

Layered it up with some no-boil noodles and mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan on top, and into a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. Gorgeousness. Like an eggplant parmesan but without the hassle of breading and frying. (Without the oil too, I guess, but I’m pretty sure there was enough extra cheese in the lasagna to wipe out that advantage.)